A good diet for rugby players

When training to get better at rugby, diet plays a huge part in the process. Many people are mistaken into thinking that a rugby diet consists of carbs and bulking agents, however, there’s so much more to it than that. Here are a few things we’d recommend incorporating into your diet, and indeed avoiding when training to improve your rugby game.

Whilst there’s a certain stigma around carbohydrates, it’s true that rugby players should include carbs into their diet for energy when training. They provide the fuel required for a decent training session, after all. However, it’s important to choose these carefully. You’ll want to avoid carbs that are excessively high in sugar and salt. This will ensure you reap the energy rewards from your intake, but remain healthy whilst doing so.

Good sources of carbohydrates include starchy vegetables, sweeter fruits such as bananas and pineapple and leafy greens such as kale. You can also have unrefined carbohydrates such as brown rice and whole wheat pasta which will release energy more slowly and enable you to keep on running when you most need it.

Once you’ve got your fuel, you’ll want to use the energy provided to get straight into training. Watching various rugby training videos, such as the ones at www.sportplan.net/drills/Rugby/Backs-Moves/ULSTER-pdbm39.jsp and combining it with your new diet will see you on the path to improving your game.
2 Protein

Set yourself a daily protein target which is optimised to develop and retain muscle. Protein-rich foods such as chicken, eggs and fish are fantastic additions to any rugby player’s diet, and will keep you on track with your daily goals.

3 Avoid sugary, unhealthy snacks

Whilst sugar-filled drinks and snacks may provide a quick burst of energy, these are to be avoided. Not only will they cause a sugar crash later on, but they’ll see you putting on weight pretty quickly, and likely causing dental issues further down the line! Instead, players should opt for more healthy snacks where possible, such as fruit or nuts.

4 Drink water

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you should remain fully hydrated, both in and out of training. Not only will drinking water replenish moisture lost through sweat, but drinking water, in general, does wonders for your overall health and in turn your fitness levels.